Dominic Cooper, star of Preacher and Agent Carter, turns 38 today. To celebrate, we reviewed 10 lesser known roles from his back catalog.
British-born birthday boy Dominic Cooper is finally coming into his own as a leading man. Unless you happen to be a particular fan of his, you probably know Cooper best as the endearing and frustrating Howard Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in Captain America: The First Avenger and Agent Carter. Up until recently, there were few projects that relied on Cooper as their top-billed star. He’s flown along just under the radar of Hollywood for quite a long time. However, his star is on the rise, and 2016 is set to see him go from “that guy who’s always in stuff” to a fully-fledged household name.
Cooper currently plays Jesse Custer in AMC’s promising new series based on the cult comic book Preacher, and his portrayal of the demonically possessed man of god is already making headlines. Preacher is currently sitting on 92% at Rotten Tomatoes and may very well be the next big thing in great cinematic TV storytelling. He can also be seen as King Llane in Duncan Jones’s big budget adaptation of Warcraft, and he’s filming the lead role of John Stratton in the first of what could become a Mission Impossible or Bourne-esque franchise based on Duncan Falconer’s Stratton book series. He’s also returning to the London stage later this year to portray the famously debauched Earl of Rochester in The Libertine. It looks like Dominic Cooper is a name that now has some serious weight behind it, and as someone who’s been a fan of his for the past 10 years, may I say: it’s about time.
Aside from the tiny handful of projects in which he is actually the lead character, Cooper’s earlier filmography tends to consist of roles that fit into one of three categories: Period Drama Cad — exactly what it sounds like, some sort of scandalous playboy in old-fashioned clothing; Boyfriend of an Important Woman — a usually-harmless incidental love interest in a film that’s very much about the story of a woman; or Weird Action-Movie Surplus Non-Hero. Some of his roles even cross over into more than one of these, and this categorization even applies in watered-down doses to movies in which he has only a passing appearance, like An Education and My Week With Marilyn. I tend to favor the Cad and the Boyfriend over the Action Non-Hero, but they all have their merits.
Anyway, it’s his birthday, and Preacher is great, and its second episode comes out this weekend, so if you love or are prepared to begin loving him, check out some of these Dominic Cooper movies and TV shows.
Dominic Cooper: a filmography review
‘Starter for 10’ (2006)
What is it? Based on the debut novel by One Day author David Nicholls, Starter for 10 is the Britishest of British coming-of-age comedy dramas, detailing the misadventures of Brian Jackson, a working-class boy with big dreams who gets a place at a prestigious university in the mid-1980s. There’s girl drama, and, ever-present in anything British, class drama, but the crux of the plot actually centers around Brian competing University Challenge. For anyone not familiar with the cultural institution of University Challenge, it’s a popular TV quiz show which features teams of students from various universities. James McAvoy stars as Brian, with Dominic Cooper playing Spencer, one of his mates from back home who causes trouble for Brian when he visits the uni.
Should you watch it? If you love the “BBC Cupboard,” as I call it — you know how the U.K. only has about 27 different actors in total and they just go get them out of storage when needed? — definitely watch it. Starter for 10 not only features a youthful McAvoy and Cooper but also James Corden, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Catherine Tate, Rebecca Hall, Charles Dance, Lindsay Duncan and Mark Gatiss.
‘The History Boys’ (2006)
What is it? A film adaptation of the Tony and Olivier-winning Alan Bennett play, featuring the complete original stage cast. The History Boys is the story of the final term for a group of grammar school students who are studying for the Oxford and Cambridge entrance exams, under the guidance of the eccentric old teacher Mr. Hector, who loves knowledge for knowledge’s sake and despises competition, and new recruit Mr. Irwin, who’s been employed for his fresh and ruthless attitude. Dominic Cooper leads the cast, alongside Stephen Campbell Moore as Irwin and Richard Griffiths as Hector, as the class’ natural leader Dakin, and to me he’s still always Dakin first and foremost. The movie is a near-perfect, unembellished interpretation if the stage production, and does not shy away from lingering on long scenes dedicated to the class discussing literature and historical events, or from the bubbling undercurrent of homosexuality present in most works by Bennett.
Should you watch it? Yes. The History Boys is my favorite movie (and play, I saw the production before the movie) and so if you don’t get something out of it, I sort of have nothing to say to you. Speaking of the BBC Cupboard, it was through religiously following the careers of the original History Boys — including James “Late Late Show” Corden, Sam “two Tony nods” Barnett, Samuel “Danny Pink” Anderson, Russell “Looking” Tovey, and Jamie “Cursed Child” Parker — that I discovered dozens of other shows, movies, plays, and cupboard-y actors to fall in love with over the past 10 years.
‘The Duchess’ (2008)
What is it? In this movie, Cooper plays a role that intersects two of the major character categories I outlined above — An Important Woman’s Boyfriend, and Period Drama Cad. The Duchess is a late 18th century historical biography of political activist and fashion icon Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire, played by Keira Knightley. Gee, as she’s known to her family, is pleased with her arranged marriage to the wealthy William Cavendish, and leads a happy and privileged life until her husband begins an affair with her best friend, Lady Bess Foster, who lives in her household. In response to the betrayal, she allows herself to fall in love with Charles Grey (Cooper), a young enigmatic politician who later in life became Prime Minister, and bears an illegitimate child by him.
Should you watch it? Yes, especially if you’re an Agent Carter fan. Cooper stars alongside Hayley Atwell in The Duchess — she plays Bess Foster, and it’s actually her performance that’s the most fascinating. Rather than being an antagonist, she defends Gee’s affair to William, asking him to grant her the same leniency that Gee grants them, and even teaches Gee how to make love. Once Grey leaves the picture, the three of them lived together their entire lives, and Gee gave her blessing for Bess and William to marry after her own death.
‘Mamma Mia!’ (2008)
What is it? Um, only the hugely popular screen adaptation of one of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time. Mamma Mia! is a jukebox musical featuring the songs of ABBA, and following the story of an ex-pat mother (Donna, Meryl Streep) and daughter (Sophie, Amanda Seyfried) who live on a Greek island. Sophie is about to get married to her boyfriend Sky — this is Cooper’s role, the Boyfriendiest of Boyfriends — and wants her father to walk her down the aisle, but she’s never met him, so she sends letters to the three men her mother met the summer Sophie was conceived, inviting them to come to the wedding. They all arrive at the same time and chaos ensues when Donna is faced with her past.
Should you watch it? You’ve probably seen it and didn’t even notice Dom was in it, because Sky is so tangential and irrelevant to the actual story of Mamma Mia! and only has one song. His chemistry with Seyfried is good, though — they dated for three years after meeting on set. But the answer is YES, unless you hate joy. This movie is the feel-good hit of the astral plane’s eternal summer, so if you haven’t seen it, I ring my shame bell at you.
‘Sense and Sensibility’ (2008)
What is it? Austen, duh. This three-part BBC miniseries of her first published work, which tells the story of the Dashwood sisters after their father dies, featured Cooper as the scandalous Willoughby, a role he’s completely perfect for. I don’t know why he’s always cast as the ultra-cad, I guess he just has that kind of face. Willoughby isn’t actually quite as insincere as Austen’s later Pride and Prejudice naughty boy Wickham — his love for Marianne Dashwood is genuine and he did want to marry her, until details of a former scandal break, causing him to be disinherited. Instead of marrying the girl he loves, he feels forced to become a gold-digger, marrying a rich woman he doesn’t even like, in order to maintain his lifestyle and position. So, not super awesome, but not as bad as the manipulative, remorseless Wickham, as far as Austen cads go.
Should you watch it? Maybe. If you like Austen adaptations, this is a great one, and it also stars Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens as the romantic hero Edward Ferrars. However, I acknowledge that some people just Don’t Get the Austen Thing, and would rather stick a rusty fork in their eye.
‘Tamara Drewe’ (2010)
What is it? Tamara Drewe is a contemporary British comedy based on a Guardian newspaper comic strip, which was, in turn, based on Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd. The eponymous Tamara, played by Gemma Arterton, is a journalist who returns to her home village in the countryside to sort out the sale of her late mother’s house. Locals who knew her as a child are amazed by her glamorous appearance, which has been enhanced by a nose job, and she juggles the affections of three men — her existing rockstar boyfriend Ben (this is Cooper’s role, of course, always the boyfriend, never the bride), prolific crime novelist Nicholas Hardiment, and who’s much older than her (Roger Allam), and local farmer Andy (Luke Evans), who fancied her in their youth.
Should you watch it? Ehhhh. It’s a chaotic, slightly farcical film that didn’t leave the best taste in my mouth, but, to be frank, neither does Far from the Madding Crowd. In terms of Dominic’s role, he’s utterly ridiculous — his character is meant to be fairly embarrassing, and he does it well, but yikes. He shares a lot of his scenes with a dog, which is amusing, but if you enjoy this whole leather-clad rock aesthetic on him, I’ve got a much better movie for you coming up.
‘The Devil’s Double’ (2011)
What is it? The allegedly true story of Latif Yahia, an Iraqi soldier forced into serving Uday Hussein (son of Saddam) as a decoy body double, due to their near-identical appearance. In his most taxing leading role to date, Cooper plays both Uday, a cheerfully sadistic psychopath, and Latif, a quiet, loyal man threatened in every possible way into becoming Uday’s companion, “brother” and double. When Latif refuses the Husseins’ initial request, he’s imprisoned, tortured, beaten and returned to the presidential palace, agreeing to serve when his family is threatened. He adopts Uday’s luxurious lifestyle and studies his mannerisms, posing for him at public events, and his resentment grows as he witnesses the atrocities Uday commits. Latif attempts to escape several times, by traditional means and by suicide, but as Uday views him as a valuable possession, he will not allow it. Latif finally attempts an assassination on Uday, crippling him, and escapes, going off the grid. Latif Yahia has written numerous books about his experience, which have been both supported and refuted by various sources.
Should you watch it? Only if you have either a deep interest in the subject matter or in witnessing Cooper’s range as an actor. He does an absolutely phenomenal job, but this movie is deeply unpleasant — graphic torture footage, murder akin to butchery, rape of minors, all of which are true. There’s also the fact that Cooper is a European actor playing two Arabic characters, which may be a no-go zone for viewers who are concerned about whitewashing — though it’s rumored that it would have been genuinely dangerous to put an Arabic actor in that position.
‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter’ (2012)
What is it? So, in 2009, the humorous parody mash-up novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was released. I worked in a bookstore at the time and after that, it seemed like there was a new mash-up novel out every second week. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Android Karenina, Jane Slayre, Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter, and this one: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. The premise of this weird, short-lived cultural phenomenon is pretty simple: take a famous book or historical figure and mash it up with a supernatural horror story. Why? Who knows. Anyway, they made this into a movie. It chronicles the life of President Abraham Lincoln from his childhood to the eve of his death. A vampire kills his mother. He becomes the protege of a good vampire, because there’s always gotta be a good vampire, who teaches him how to be a vampire hunter. Dominic Cooper is the good vampire. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Mary Todd. Anthony Mackie plays Willie Johnson. This is the world’s most unnecessary movie adaptation.
Should you watch it? This is possibly the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. The special effects are horrifically bad — not even funny bad, just plain bad, I have no idea why they wanted to make this into such an OTT action/horror film when something understated and more “real-feeling” would have fit the tone much better — and the premise feels unsettling and offensive in its implication that Lincoln fought against slavery because of vampires, not because, you know, of slavery. The film tries to convince you that that’s not what they’re trying to say, but it really feels like making light of the some of the darkest parts of history. The cast have some well-acted moments, particularly Cooper, Winstead and Mackie, but on the whole, I would show this movie as a punishment to people that I hate.
‘Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond’ (2014)
What is it? A BBC America miniseries about the military career of James Bond creator Ian Fleming, showcasing Cooper in the leading role. On the eve of WWII, Fleming is a careless playboy (Period Drama Cad!) who lives life to the fullest in London’s permissive upper-crust society. He’s constantly criticized by his family for not living up to the memory of his war-hero father or successful brother, until some of his craftier skills — specifically, posing as a Nazi ally in order to buy a very rare book — get him headhunted by the director of Naval Intelligence. He begins working as an administrator and “ideas man,” coming up with risky schemes to deceive the enemy and extract information. He later went into the field to command his operations in person. His wartime career, including the convoluted plans he dreamed up and got away with, inspired many of the details in the James Bond novels.
Should you watch it? I think so. Cooper leads an ensemble cast in this four-part series that kind of feels like the world’s most languid and realistic Bond film — Fleming drinks martinis shaken, not stirred; he has questionable relationships with women; he plays high-stakes card games in foreign casinos. But to me, learning WWII history and looking behind the curtain at how Fleming sculpted Bond from within himself is much more interesting than any fictional spy flick.
‘Miss You Already’ (2015)
What is it? I’ll just straight-up say it — it’s a cancer movie. It’s the story of two childhood best friends, Milly (Toni Colette) and Jess (Drew Barrymore), who stay close their whole lives and start families of their own, having a great time until Milly discovers she has breast cancer. The movie covers the course of Milly’s chemotherapy and surgery in a raw, unsanitized way, as well as the difficulties those around her face, both due to her erratic behavior — including an affair, due to feeling uncomfortable around her own ex-rockstar husband, Kit (this is Cooper’s role, finally graduated from Boyfriend to actual Husband) — and their impending loss of her. Eventually, after explaining things to her own children and hanging on long enough to witness the birth of Jess’ first child, Milly goes into hospice care and dies, and Jess reflects on how their family moves on from such a loss. Not to lower the tone, but this is also the better-than-Tamara-Drewe movie in which Cooper looks like a hot rocker, by the way.
Should you watch it? If you don’t mind being manipulated into sadness, then yeah. Yes, this is a cancer movie, a genre that’s panned for good reason, but this is genuinely a really good one. The script, sense of place — London is a real character in and of itself, like in Love, Actually — and the talent of the cast sell Miss You Already as something real, not some indulgent inspiration porn about a beautiful and poetic struggle. Kit is one of Cooper’s most emotionally complex roles to date — his performance is just incredible, as is Colette’s.